1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a bread mix, in particular to an improved dry bread mix for whole wheat bread. The invention also relates to a process for preparing the whole wheat bread mix which is rapid and enables the simplified production of a high quality whole wheat bread in the home.
2. Background of the Invention
In the past, baking bread in the home has been a tedious undertaking, requiring from 31/2 to 5 hours. Generally, the typical procedure called for a series of dough working and fermentation steps that required mixing major additions of water, yeast and flour plus minor additions of salt, sugar and shortening. After the mixing operation, the dough was kneaded by alternately flattening and folding for at least about ten minutes. Then the yeast in the dough was fermented by placing it in a warm environment thus causing the rising of the dough and effecting the proper changes in the starch and gluten portions of the dough. This initial fermentation caused the dough to double in volume, following which the dough was then punched down, kneaded again for another two or three minutes and subjected to an intermediate fermentation, also known as a proofing step until the volume had redoubled. This large means of dough was then worked manually, divided into suitable size units for baking and placed in pans where it was proofed for about 30 minutes until its volume had again doubled. The final step was to bake the dough for about 30 minutes. As can be understood, this time-consuming procedure was a serious deterrent to the preparation of home-baked fresh bread despite its obvious appeal.
Although in more recent times new batter recipes for preparing home-baked bread requiring shorter time and effort have been developed, these receipes have failed to produce high quality breads. While these batter recipes contain excess water, chemical leavening agents and medium soft flour, a true dough is not formed. Therefore, the texture of the bread, including its resiliency and crumb characteristics, was not considered to be of high quality. It must be recognized that it is the batter form of the product which is responsible for the relatively inferior quality of the end product.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,680 (Henika et al.) represents an example of an improved dry mix and process for baking bread adapted to domestic needs. Henika et al. requires the use of essential gluten activating agents and maturing agents. The activating agents are present at levels which react with substantially all of the protein in the dough to achieve the desired viscosities in a short mixing period. Starch modifying agents are needed to improve flavor and dough properties. Slow acting oxidants or maturing agents are also employed. This procedure, while an improvement, is unnecessarily complex. It still requires considerable fermentation and kneading in combination with a proofing step that has to be carefully temperature controlled.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,305 is another example of a simplified bread mix and process. A considerable reduction in time for the kneading and fermentation steps is achieved by an additive composition containing defined amounts of an ascorbate compound, an edible oxidizing agent and an edible sulfhydryl-containing reducing agent. In certain instances either the kneading or fermentation step may be eliminated. Significantly, however, either kneading for 4 minutes or more or initial fermentation for from 15 to 60 minutes is required. Preferably also a kneading step for at least about 1 minute is practiced.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,084 describes what is considered to be a significant breakthrough in the preparation of a bread mix and product in that it eliminates kneading of the dough after the initial mixing and also virtually eliminates a separate step of fermenting following the mixing step. Quick preparation of a high quality bread is achieved simply by mixing flour, 1.5 to 2.5 percent of a quick-leavening active dry yeast and 0.1 to 0.75 percent of a dough conditioner which is calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate and mixtures thereof. All of such percentages are based on the dry weight of the mix.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,426 is another example of a bread mix for home use that eliminates both the kneading step and the fermentation step. However, while the end result achieved herein is similar to U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,084, the result is accomplished somewhat differently. U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,426 requires, in addition to flour and active yeast, a chemical leavening agent and a gum mixture of propylene glycol alginate and a second gum such as carrageenan.
While the latter two patents, namely, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,393,084 and 4,395,426, have made notable advances in the preparation of dry mixes which enable quick production of high quality breads, neither patent suggests that its specific dry mix composition and its specific process of preparation would specifically be adequate for a high quality whole wheat bread. While U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,084 indicates that the dry mix and process are applicable to the preparation of virtually any type of bread of yeast-leavened dough product the formulations as indicated by the examples are preferably directed to white bread, French-style white bread, rye bread and pumpernickel. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,426 is silent about the type of bread produced by use of its bread mix composition and the process of making the same.
Several decades ago the use of whole wheat almost ceased in bread making both commercially and in the home because of well-known problems. But there has been a recent revival in the popularity of whole wheat bread.
The use of whole wheat had the problems of providing a sticky dough that was not easy to work with and dense, uneven, small loaves of bread were produced. The bran fraction of the whole wheat tended to destroy the gluten in the dough. Bran interfered with the gluten structure and was not as elastic as gluten. The use of whole wheat caused a dry mouth feel. Whole wheat flour has different absorptive properties than does refined white flour. The reason is because the bran does not absorb as much water as does gluten.